Okay, so now we've reached part 3 of my collection inventory project. 4 long boxes in and I've done DC from 1994 and Eclipse from 1987. That means it's time for Marvel from 1976! Understand that as a kid, I was a total card-carrying member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society (except for, you know, actually having the card). My DC collection is far more sporadic prior to the mid-80s, but my Marvel collection had more detail to it. However, the 1970s were the time before comic shops, when comics were gotten at Supermarkets, Drugstores and even(gasp!) newstands. Sometimes it was catch as catch can, since there was no good system for getting back issues and if you missed it, you missed it forever (or so it seemed to a kid).

Here we have an example of one I missed the first few issues for, but when I found it, I grabbed on with both hands. I give you Super-Villain Team-Up!

Wherein Doom is...well, DOOM. Namor is caught between a Rock and a Hard Place, a new character is introduced and an unexpected guest star appears.

Okay, so both Marvel and DC in the 1970s had titles that featured villains teaming-up as the protagonists. DC's, iirc, was more of rotating roster and a larger group...though the Joker feature prominently. Marvel's title was really a Dr. Doom road-show. The title is also something of a misnomer. Doom, as you might expect, rarely teams-up with ANYONE. This is certainly the case, here. Further, Namor isn't actually considered a villain at this point.

So, set-up: Dr. Doom has managed, through manipulations, to get Namor under his power. Namor requires a serum Doom has to survive. Without regular doses several times a day, he will die. Doom's price for his help? To forge an alliance between Latveria and Atlantis, to raise both of them to an even footing with the world's existing super-powers. In the previous issue, Doom kidnaps Namor and then mocks the Fantastic Four when they try to stop him. Doom then challenges the FF (and Reed specifically) to come rescue "ol' fish-face" as Ben calls him.

Predictably, the FF arrive and are met with ROBOTS. This is Doom, after all. Doom has been waiting for their arrival, but he has three other guests. Namor, his 'unexpected guest' (to the reader, at least) and one even Doom is unaware of....The Shroud, a new hero who has sworn to kill Dr. Doom (for arguably very selfish reasons). I only mention The Shroud (who I rather liked) because he occupies a few panels here and might be confusing, otherwise. While the FF battle Doom's robots, he showboats to his other guest:

Yes, that's right. Doom is so Hardcore he blows a nuke in his castle...just to show off how smart he is. But wait, there's more:

Better than NASA, able to sabotage a bay (and Latervia is land-locked) and he had a working Star Wars Defense BEFORE Star-Wars. Suck it, bitches! Also: LASER BOMB. Note that Doom on the throne, there.

Now, by this point the reader might have sussed out who the guest was. There have been several visual clues...at least to a reader in 1976, anyhow. Things are going great until of course Toady #134 shows up and points out that the darned FF are actually in the courtyard. Those robots aren't working. Doom needs a few minutes, so he orders an unhappy Namor out to fight them. Namor is reluctant (remember, he's their friend, mostly, at this point) but the Torch pisses him off and it's ON. But Namor is still kinda weak, so he loses.

The FF make it inside the castle when SUDDENLY, DOOM DOES WHAT DOOM DOES:

Yes, that's right...Henry Kissinger making a treaty with Dr. Doom. I guess if 'only Nixon could go to China', then 'only Ford could go to Latveria'? Clearly, this whole episode was designed to allow Doom to deliver a political humiliating smackdown to the FF. It's Doom-dickery on an epic scale. This is how Doom should be written.